Before and After
by amoreebellaa
Summary: (Takes place in between Zombie Part 1) Eli and Alli deal with the possibility that the other might just like them, but what about Clare, and they share a little truth bombs.


I do not own any of Degrassi's fine actors, actresses, characters, or the show itself. My attempt at a Degrassi fan fiction. **Review.**

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"It's open." Alli shouted to whoever was knocking on her bedroom door currently disturbing her from repainting her nails a new pink berry blast color.

"Oh Alli, someone dropped off these beautiful roses for you." Alli stood up, placing her nail polish on the stand by her bed. Alli tried not to let her excitement get to her head when she took the flowers out of her mother's hands. "They're from…ELI?" Alli shrieked, shaking her head back and forth, and her eyes popping out of their sockets. She treated the flowers like they were on fire, and threw them on the floor.

"Alli, that is no way to treat a gift someone brought you, this Eli obviously has some feelings for you. Any chance he's Indian?" Alli watched as her mom mentally began planning her wedding with…Eli. That was just gross, wrong, and twisted. "I'll be at The Dot." Alli said picking up the flowers, and grabbing her coat.

Eli was just getting home from another late night, editing in the computer room, and he still had to go over the scripts a final time. He was rethinking his sword idea, and was in desperate need of a little advice. He stopped on the front step when he thought about the person who would know what exactly to say. "I can't call her. This was my idea. Remember that Eli." He closed his eyes, and shooked his head a little before entering inside his house.

"Oh Eli, there you are, another late night at school," Cece said looking up from her current book in hand, as Bullfrog switched through channels. "Yeah, just editing and going through the script again." Eli slid off his jacket, and went straight to the fridge for some soda. "Oh by the way there is something for you on the table." Eli nodded taking a sip of his soda.

"WHAT IS THAT?" Eli spit out whatever soda he had in his mouth all over the chair in front of him. He wondered if Clare had sent them, but when he reached for the card. "Alli." He placed his soda on the table, grabbed the flowers, and headed out to find out the meaning of this. He vaguely heard Bullfrog yell out at him as he shut the door.

He knew where she lived at due to the multiple times he had picked up Clare from there. Alli liked him, and wanted him to be her boyfriend. Now he would never tell Clare or Alli this, but Alli wasn't exactly the type of person he was fond of. It wasn't like they talked much outside of Clare, and didn't she know how much this would hurt Clare if she found out.

Taking a moment he decided Clare can never find out. When he got to her house, he ranged the doorbell, and began practicing what he would say to her. "Who are you?" Alli's father answered the door. "Hi, Mr. Bhandari I was wondering if I could speak to Alli. My name is Eli." Eli took his hand out to shake the older man's, but Mr. Bhandari just stared at him. "Alli isn't here. She left and went to the Dot." He heard a soft voice tell him behind Mr. Bhandari, and saw that it was her mom. "Ok, thank you. Enjoy the rest of your night." Eli said before turning around, and headed for the Dot.

Alli had just finished telling Jenna and Conner about the flowers, and she couldn't believe she had to deal with her best friend's stupid ex-boyfriend having a crush on her. Connor was talking about how he's artistic and something else, but Alli didn't care. She loved Clare, and if Clare knew this it would break her heart even more. She looked to the door, and saw Eli walking up the steps. Oh God!

"Hey I wanted to talk to you about this." Eli said completely ignoring Jenna and Connor. "You want to talk to me? I should be the one to talk to you! Who do you think you are, trying to date your ex-girlfriend's best friend? How low are you willing to go to break Clare's heart?" Alli stood straight with him holding the roses in his face. "What? I didn't send you anything, and I don't want to date you. I only came to talk to you about these flowers, because you sent them to me. I mean I know you kissed Jake, but I won't do that to Clare. I still love her." Eli couldn't believe what he was hearing from Alli.

"Well who else would write, "Will you be my girlfriend? XOXO Eli," Alli watched Eli wondering what game he was trying to play. "Wait, yours say that? Mine says, "Will you be my boyfriend? XOXO Alli," Eli took the card out of its golden stand from in between the flowers and gave her the card.

"So if you didn't send me these flowers, and I didn't send you those flowers, then who did?" Alli wondered looking between Eli and Jenna who was staring at Connor.

"Connor, did you send those flowers?" Jenna eyed Connor hoping he didn't, but already knowing he most likely did to get rid of Alli. "I wanted to get Alli a boyfriend, so that she would stop always being around us. And Eli is so sad and lonely that he's lost himself in his movie. I thought they could make each other less lonely." Connor replied not really understanding why that was such a bad thing.

"Nice Connor." Alli rolled her eyes before settling them down on Eli with a glare. "I have a deadline to finish on my movie. This is wasting my time." Eli said before turning out the door, and giving his flowers to two elderly women.

Alli left her flowers on the table, and headed out upset that her one peaceful night was ruined. When she stepped out into the cold brisk air, she saw Eli pacing back and forth on a street. It was the street that turned into Clare's house. "She's campaigning for her presidency, so Jake and she are probably busy making more posters." Alli yelled out to him. Eli turned around almost slipping on the sidewalk. "Yeah, she's probably busy." Eli said mostly to himself looking down at his feet.

"I don't get it...why did you want a break if you obviously still love her?" Alli walked to Eli and stood in front of him. Her best friend has spent over two years being in love with this guy, so he had to be good for something. "I don't really know anymore. She was just always trying to get me to talk about…Cam." Eli didn't really know why he was telling her, he was sure Clare told Alli everything. The whole ugly truth of what he said, and it wasn't like Alli wasn't there for his big moment. "So she tries to get you to talk, and you pop acid, run around the whole school naked, and somehow she is the problem. You know Clare would've listened if you just told her you didn't want to talk about it. I thought you both were all in." Alli made air quotes around the last part, because she couldn't believe Eli was really all in. "We are, I mean, we were. I don't know, I just keep thinking about her face when I told her she was the problem. I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't listen." Eli said running a hand through his hair, because he still didn't know why he was telling Alli of all people his relationship problems.

"I've known Clare since we got grouped together in ninth grade by Mr. Simpson; you didn't try to tell her. You called her the problem when she was trying to help. You took the drugs, and ran naked around the school while she and I chased after you. Clare didn't deserve to be called the problem, and you know she wasn't. It was you and your miscommunication. She could've stop pushing, but she only did it because you wouldn't talk to her really. I remember last time how bad you got, and I think she's still afraid that it will happen again." Alli could see Eli shaking a bit, and at first she thought she may have gone too far. She didn't budge though, because he needed to hear this. He needed to know where he went wrong, and how blaming Clare for his problems was stupid.

"I know." Eli wanted to run away, and be mad at Alli. He wanted to be mad at her for poking her nose in their problems, but deep down he knew she was right. He took pot way before Cam's suicide, and she kept telling him to stop. He said he would, but go right behind her back and smoke with Jake. "I just wanted my girlfriend, not a therapist." Eli replied looking up at Alli. "Well you should've told her that, because Clare loves you Eli. If you would've just explained that you already were talking to your therapist then she would've backed off. Eli, she loves you so much, and honestly if I could I would make her forget you. What you told her? That was probably worse than Asher." Alli said, before looking at her watch, and deciding it was time to go home.

"Leave her alone until you are ready to talk about it, but don't expect her to take you back. If she does, she does, and if she doesn't, she doesn't. I got to go." Alli waved to Eli, before crossing the street, and disappearing into the night. Eli turned and began walking down the street thinking about the last thing Alli said. _If she takes you back, she does, if she doesn't, she doesn't._ Eli let out a scream he didn't know he was holding in, and ran back to the streetlight.

He just wanted to go home, and forget the mistake he made, the mistake he didn't see until now. He always assumed Clare would be waiting, but Clare wasn't that type of girl. She didn't wait around like Imogen did when she had a crush on him, or when he waited for Clare to dump Jake. No, she keeps moving, and he needed her by his side. If only he realized what taking a break actually meant for her.


End file.
